Freedom Rangers

[eaemnc]

Grayfields,

You probably are raising your own Rangers now right? If not are you going to order more? I'd like to go in on them with someone as I only want 10 or so. Which puts me out of ordering from the breeders in WI or anywhere else.
Please get back to me on this. Where are you at? I wonder how to find someone in Ohio with those Rangers? I'm looking for not grainy meat (black Rangers) probably the ones with the 7. I'm new at this and I don't want to subject my young boys to something tasting much different than what my brother had with his barred rocks on free range. Different meaning texture. I'll go for a better tasting quality any day on range

that's why I'm getting into this

Thanks Grayfields,

You are such a HUGE help!!!!!!!!!!
Ann

Quote:
I got 50 because that was the minimum at that time. A friend down the river only needed 25, so he did an order of 50 and got a couple to go in with him. It saved everyone on shipping really.

Quote:
Straight run. No point in doing anything else on meat birds.

Quote:
Less messy. They were 3 weeks in brooder, 2 weeks in an 8'x8' tractor, then 4 weeks in a larger tractor 6'x10' with a 160 SF run outside it. I moved the tractor and run weekly.

Quote:
Chicktastic

Quote:
Interesting question. As a general response, these 'breeds' were developed for the UK and Canada for the organic market. In order to be organic there, the birds can be no younger than 81 days at slaughter. Obviously, a Cornish X at 81 days would be immense, if still alive. So as far as I can tell, they have the same FCR as Cornish X's, but don't drop dead spontaneously.

If I had to guess on the breeding, I'd say the terminal sire was fior sure a White Cornish. I think he was used on a Barred Rock / Light Sussex cross. They have some barring coming through as well as the neck feather pattern you see on a light Sussex; which is a very common breed in England.

Quote:
We went with 30 Grey Rangers being Greyfields Farm and all. They are handsome birds for sure. The gourmet blacks look a lot like Barred Rocks, except with yellow in the neck plumage.

My downstream neighbor got Red Rangers, and they are handsome, too. They look like RIR's right now, but with much thicker legs and a wider stance.

 

[eaemnc]

I keep adding to this every 2 minutes so sorry Gray!!
I was wondering if you have a Freedom Ranger hen and if she is laying? I wonder how the eggs are? If not for eating I would really like to get a broody ranger hen to rotate my meat chickens if I get Freedom Rangers somehow. If they aren't broody that's ok I'll put them under the incubator or under a Buff Orpington LOL.
I am still debating which Ranger would be best for taste and soft white meat texture. I think the meat in the grocery store isn't grainy right? I'm new not blond lol.
Would anyone thinking about getting these Rangers let me get some in their order? I hope the shipping won't choke me or my hubby won't go for this. I'll definately want 10 hens and 1 rooster. I'm not into having rooster fighting in my barn.

Thanks again and again and again Gray!!!

Ann

 

[Windy Ridge]

I'm not certain, but it would be my guess that Freedom Rangers are crosses, just like the more usual meat birds, the Cornish Cross. That means they wouldn't breed true. In other words, you'd have to get them from the breeder because their offspring wouldn't have their same characteristics.

I could be wrong about that, but I don't think so. Good luck, however. You may be able to find someone nearby to split an order with you. There are an awful lot of poultry people in Ohio.

 

[greyfields]

Okay, you have given me a lot to responsd to here. I'll try to touch on all the points.

1) I would raise Freedom Rangers again without hesitation. If anyone wanted me to recommend good meat birds, they would be my first choice. However, my farm plan is to develop my own strain(s) of meat chickens for sale. That way I can control the parent stock genetics and ensure I'm keeping disease resistance and vigor in the equation.

I live on an island in the middle of the Columbia River. The water table is about 2' down; which means we have horrendous problems with parasites and coccidiossis. Therefore, to me, it's more important to breed my own birds and let the ones who become sick simply die. Then I will breed the ones who weren't troubled and pass along their genetics.

2) The flavor of the Freedom Rangers was outstanding. It was as good as anything I've raised and maybe even slightly better. However, all farm raised chickens allowed exercise will always taste a bit "stringier" than the mushy chickens at Safeway. The meat holds less water and it's something you have to educate your customers about.

Also, the appearance is very important since I sell to customers. The chicken has got to be broad breasted like the chickens they are used to seeing. If I showed up with any purebred chicken, with the thinner breast, my customers would be few and far between. I do find that as my customers learn to like real chicken, they share my repelence to cheap, commercial chickens from the grocery store. Then they move up and onto our grass fed lamb, beef, pastured pork, duck and goose!

3) I beat up the Cornish Cross as much as anyone. However, when developing my own meat birds, you can be certain the terminal sire will be a Cornish. There is nothing 'wrong' with this selection of cross breed. What is wrong with the system is the over-selection of the parent strains to create the little monsters which are the jumbo cornish crosses we all hate to raise, but love to eat. As a matter of fact, even the Freedom Rangers have a Cornish as the terminal sire (as far as I can tell, since the actual genetics are proprietary). What I am doing different is choosing less agressive parent strains for making my cross.

4) As far as economics and feed consumption, the Freedom Rangers have the same FCR as your commercial cornish cross, it just takes them several more weeks to get to the desired weight than the 42 day old chickens being trucked down the freeway to Foster Farms. The added benefits of the slower breed is much higher disease resistance; and they are far more active in foraging.

The ones I have held over (which is a folly, since breeding cross breeds is just stupid, but I"m soft hearted and watned to spare a couples' lives) have not come into lay yet. They are actually beautiful birds; but with all crossbreeds they don't breed true, so my use of them will be pretty limited.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Ann, I'm in Ohio and thinking about trying a meat bird. I'm new to chickens so I definitely don't want alot and don't want a rooster. I could possibly split an order with you. Where in OH are you?

Cindy

 

[hencackle]

Greyfields, this is a great thread, good enough IMO to be "stickied". I saved that website in my favorites in case DH & I ever get to buy some land and we wanted to raise something other than the usual Cornish-Rock X.
Stephanie

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
Cindy - Meat chickens are processed at an age where you can barely tell the cockrels and pullets apart. That's why almost everyone orders straight runs, because it really makes no difference.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

That makes sense...see how new I am?

 

[LynnGrigg]

Greyfields, have you eaten the black ones yet? I rather like a gamey flavor. I'm curious about the rangers also. We "adopted" some cornish rock cross hatchlings years ago and kept many of them for about a year. We did have a hen that laid eggs. Not knowing what all the fuss was about keeping these meat birds at the time, we just didn't know how they grow too fast and we did lose some. When we finally decided to process the monsters, the meat was very tough. I imagine it would have been good had we done it at the proper time but I think if we decide to try some meat birds that we'd rather have a hardier, slower maturing bird so this thread is a good one for the consideration of something other than cornish/rock cross. It seems like a healthier solution all round. Many of us would give our good arm to have the space and opportunity to raise some organic/free range livestock. You ought to do organic Kurobota Pork. It's good!

 

[eaemnc]

yah I'm new to it's AWESOME!!! to grow with others sharing info. to grow from. This is the best forum and I wouldn't mind if there are Ohio folks near by to start a group or something. I'm still not sure what coop to build. Not sure what size and construction of Chicken Tractor to build but come Spring 2008 I'd better be building both!!

To you pros. when do you get your chicks in the spring? I was thinking Feb. my brother who used to raise barred rocks said late March. I'm due April and deliver 3 weeks early every time. My husband will be doing the building with my brother by his side and we have room to work with just want to have the right size and right number of Tractors for say 35 chickens. The egg layers and meat birds hopefully the Freedom Rangers will be seperated. I was told that's the best way to go. (shrug) still learning here!!

Thanks again and agian,

Ann

Quote: